A LAUGHER:
LeBron James is the centerpiece of Miami's Big 3, which also includes Dwyane Wade (left) and Chris Bosh (right). None of them was needed at the end of the Heat's 101-78 win over the Nets.AP

LeBron James was disap pointed he wouldn’t have a chance to fully participate in Halloween this year. In years past, he has dressed up as Batman and King Leonidas from the movie “300.”

“I am big Halloween guy,” James said before yesterday’s match against the Nets at Prudential Center. “I’m not a big trick or treating guy anymore. People stopped giving me candy. I’m not a kid anyone, so I stopped going. But I think it’s a great holiday.”

No doubt many of the 17,086 fans at the Rock hoped James’ costume of choice yesterday would have been a Nets uniform, but that fantasy was spoiled when he joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to turn the Heat into the Globetrotters of the NBA.

Their visit to Newark yesterday only underscored how much the Nets missed out on; how much Miami gained; and the huge gap that must be closed before the prediction of a championship within five years by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov can be taken seriously.

“That’s a level where they are where in a couple years where we hope to be,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “Right now we’re still on the ground floor.”

Whatever confidence the Nets gained from a 2-0 start was destroyed in less than three quarters by the Heat, who overwhelmed them on both ends of the floor, shooting 68 percent from the field for most the first half, while limiting the over-matched Nets to 35.3 percent for the game.

James lead Miami’s three amigos with 20 points, while Bosh had his most productive game with 18 and Wade added 17. But it was Miami’s depth and defense that crushed the Nets.

The home crowd, acting like a bride left at the altar, booed James whenever he touched the ball. But it was fickle enough to cheer when he broke free for a thunderous dunk.

Nonetheless, James said nice things about the Nets’ courtship of him during the summer, and admitted daydreaming about this being where he might have ended up had he not chosen Miami. He’ll probably say something similar when he gets to New York and Chicago.

In retrospect, the Nets really never had a chance to land James, not with all the collusion going on behind the scenes amonghim, Wade and Bosh.

“It was a great meeting,” James said of his summer sit down with the Nets. “I left with respect for the organization; respect for Avery Johnson and respect for the owner and everyone who has anything to do with the Nets.”

James pleaded the fifth when asked if it might have mattered if the team wasn’t renting Prudential Center for two years before moving to its new arena in Brooklyn.

“This place is great and Brooklyn is a great city also,” he said. “But I’ve never been to Newark and I’ve never been to Brooklyn. I don’t know if it would have helped their case or not.”

After three impressive wins since losing the opener at Boston, about the only thing James seems to regret is how the announcement of his decision was handled.

“If I had to go back on it, I’d probably do it a little bit different,” he said without elaborating. “But I’m happy with my decision that I made to come to this team.”

What’s not too like? The Heat is determined, energetic and deeper than expected. Coach Erik Spoelstra had implored his team to have a sense of urgency coming off a blowout win over the Magic in Miami’s home opener Friday night. He needn’t have worried.

“There’s never a time we can’t be motivated going into any arena,” James insisted.

You get the feeling the Heat is like a train heading downhill. The only thing that can stop that is Superman. Then again, that would be a fitting costume for James, too.